Try a little firmness
Celebrating a small victory for Natural Law.... The real Christians (ie Africans) managed to outvote and outmaneuver the Satanic Brits in the Anglican synod. They declared, on behalf of the church management, that the American branch is suspended from membership. It doesn't look like they've used the words schism or heresy but it amounts to the same thing.

Unlike the recommendations of the Windsor Report, which called for the “voluntary withdrawal” of the Episcopal Church from the life of the Communion, today’s vote directs the archbishop to discipline the American church. The Episcopal Church may not take part in the decision making process “on issues of doctrine or polity”, either, agreed the primates.

Democracy worked. In this case it's well beyond a question of 50.1%, since the real Christians outnumber the Satans hugely. There are something like 35 million real Christians in Anglican churches in Africa, and less than one million "members" in England. I expect a few dozen of those "members" may be real Christians who are too stubborn or too old to realize what's happening. When the ratio between two factions is 35 to 1, you're not really talking about Democracy. It's simpler. The 35 side IS the organization. And when the 35 side is armed with moral rigor, its force is multiplied.

If you remove theology from these disputes, they're much easier to understand. Replace "Christianity" with "beef". You can prepare beef in all sorts of different ways: barbecued, roasted, grilled, hamburger, jerky. Those foods look and taste different, but they're all made from the same basic substance. You can legally call them "beef". A company that makes a soy product designed to taste like beef is NOT entitled to call it "beef". USDA and the companies that sell actual beef will take legal action against the soy company, and they'll win easily. The soy stuff may be quite tasty and nutritious, but it's SOY, not beef.

The US/UK "Anglicans" may have a tasty product, enjoyed by a small (and rapidly shrinking) customer base, but it's NOT Christianity. It's made from an entirely different substance. Most customers for Christianity prefer the real thing.

Labels: defensible spaces

  ¶ 9:47 AM